Dot and line games, pictures and puzzles are well known wherein numbered dots and lines are connected to form a picture or representation. In one known game the outlining portion of a representation such as the picture of a person, animal or object is replaced by spaced apart dots given sequential numbers. A line is drawn from numbered dot to numbered dot in sequence to redraw the outline of the representation. Another game called "boxes" is played on an unnumbered rectilinear dot matrix by players successively connecting adjacent dots to see which player can be responsible for "closing" the most boxes which are defined by dots on the corners of a square.
Another known dot and line game is the game often called "battleship" played with an identical pair of numbered matrices of dots wherein one player "hides" one or more lines or shapes such as representing ships, in his matrix and the other player calls out the dropping of bombs on numbered dots to "bomb" the ships.
In these prior art games the lines are created on the matrix by reason of information on the matrix as is the case of the lines connecting dots as the outline of an object or are created by direction of the player's thought processes as in the case of the "boxes" and "battleship" games.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a game method and apparatus keyed to a coded order of sections of a representation in order to redevelop the representation on an independent matrix by following the coded order until the representation is recognized, typically short of full reproduction of the representation. The term "representation" is used herein to mean the perceptible illustration, be it one or more letters, words, phrases, symbols, pictures or combinations thereof, that are recreated during the game and to be recognized during the recreation.
Broadly stated the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of first forming an ordered matrix and then establishing a representation arranged in a representation matrix corresponding to that of the ordered matrix. The representation is then divided into representation matrix sections corresponding to parts of the ordered matrix and these sections are established in a coded order so that by following the coded order on parts of the ordered matrix the representation is recreated until the representation is recognized.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention the coded order is followed to recreate the representation by covering the representation sections on corresponding parts of the ordered matrix. This feature can be accomplished using arbitrarily shaped tokens to cover parts of the matrix wherein the representation will appear in the configuration of the tokens. This feature can also be accomplished by utilizing two dimensional physical reproductions of portions of the representation on parts of the ordered matrix wherein the representation will then be recreated by the appearance of the separate portions together. One example of this latter aspect is a representation in the form of a picture of a famous person, place or scene subdivided into pieces shaped to conform to the shape of the parts of the ordered matrix and wherein parts of the representation can include legends defining characteristics of the representation, such as physical or historical facts regarding the representation in the picture. As the picture is recreated on the matrix by following the coded order certain of these legends will appear as the parts of the pictures are fitted together so that more and more information is established regarding the characteristics of the repesentation as the sequence is followed until enough information is provided for recognition of the repesentation.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention the coded order is followed by joining parts of the ordered matrix, such as by connecting separated parts of the matrix. In accordance with this feature of the invention the sections of the representation are recreated by the joined parts of the matrix with lines or connecting members in line form. In accordance with this feature of the invention the representation can be one or more letters or symbols to form a design or word which can be recognized as the sections of the letters or symbols are recreated together.
Another feature of the invention is the provision of game apparatus including a sheet provided with at least one ordered matrix and at least one coded representation card having at least one coded portion made up of a plurality of character combinations, such as numbers, letters, or combinations thereof. Each character combination designates a part of the coded matrix on the sheet and a section of the representation to be reproduced. In accordance with one aspect of this feature of the invention a coded card is provided for each letter in the alphabet of a language. In accordance with another feature of this aspect of the invention the coded card includes a repesentation portion on which the representation is reproduced and a card holder is provided for the game having a portion adopted to receive and support the card exposing the coded portion and having a cover portion covering the representation portion when the card is supported in the holder.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a perusal of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicate similar structures in each of the several views.